Глава 17

1–6. Micah's production of cult paraphernalia. 7–13. A Levite performing worship in Micah's house. Judges 17:1. There was someone on Mount Ephraim named Micah. Judges 17:2. He said to his mother: The thousand and one hundred shekels of silver that were taken from you, and for which you cursed me in front of me, this silver is mine; I have taken it. His mother said: Blessed is my son with the Lord! Judges 17:3. And he returned to his mother one thousand and one hundred shekels of silver. And his mother said: I dedicated this silver from myself to the Lord for [you,] my son, to make from it an image and a cast idol; so I give it to you. Judges 17:4. But he returned the silver to his mother. His mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to the smelter. He made an image and a cast idol out of them, which was in Micah’s house. Judges 17:5. And Micah had the house of God. And he made an ephod and a teraphim, and dedicated one of his sons to be his priest. Judges 17:6. In those days Israel had no king; everyone did what seemed fair to him. A certain Micah, from the tribe of Ephraim, made an idol and a cast idol from silver given to him by his mother (200 shekels, worth 160 rubles in silver, about eight pounds), then added an ephod and teraphim to them and, having placed these things in his house, probably in a special room, he assigned one of his sons to be a priest with them. The image mentioned in the cult of Micah (pesal from rasal - to tear off, cut off) was probably carved in the form of a small column, following the example of the Canaanite menhirs (Deut. 7:5, 25), with dedication to Jehovah, like Jacob's betil (Gen. 28:18-19). The cast idol (masekah from nasak - to pour), as can be seen from various places in the Bible where this name is used (cf. Ex. 32:4,8; Deut. 9:12, 16; 1 Kings 14:9; 2 Kings 17:16), probably had the shape of a calf and served as a symbolic image of Jehovah. The ephod was the vestment of either the priest himself, in the form of a high priest (cf. Judgment 8:27), or an idol, as some guess. For teraphim, see Gen. 31:19. Judges 17:7. One young man from Bethlehem of Judah, from the tribe of Judah, a Levite, then lived there; Judges 17:8. This man went from the city of Bethlehem of Judea to stay wherever he happened, and walking along the road, he came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah. Judges 17:9. And Micah said to him: Where are you coming from? He said to him: I am a Levite from Bethlehem of Judah, and I am going to live wherever it happens. Judges 17:10. And Micah said to him: stay with me and be my father and priest; I will give you ten shekels of silver per year, necessary clothing and food. Judges 17:11. The Levite went to him and the Levite agreed to stay with the man, and the young man was with him as one of his sons. Judges 17:12. Micah ordained a Levite, and this young man was his priest and lived in Micah’s house. Judges 17:13. And Micah said: Now I know that the Lord will do good to me, because the Levite is my priest. Having accidentally met a young Levite who was looking for food for himself, Micah invited him to his house and invited him to be his priest instead of his son, giving him clothes, food and ten shekels of silver (8 silver rubles) for his work, to which he willingly agreed. You might be interested in: